


The Aftermath

by J_Antebellum



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: F/M, Post Lethal White
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 23:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16335191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Antebellum/pseuds/J_Antebellum
Summary: One-Shots about what happened between Robin being held at gun-point by Raphael and the Epilogue of Lethal White.





	The Aftermath

London Metropolitan Police kept Robin for the longest time, interrogating her in Scotland Yard While her lip swelled even after a check-up by a paramedic. Strike was finished with his declaration very quickly, after having accompanied her to Scotland Yard, an arm always around her shoulders, but he waited for Robin during the hours of the night, and called Ilsa to inform her of the situation, and ask whether it'd be alright for him to drop Robin off at their house whenever they were finished with her. She had had a rough day, after all, being held at gun-point by Raphael. Ilsa assured that she'd be there shortly and wait with him and take her home afterwards, and indeed half an hour later the lawyer appeared with her husband Nick, both looking rather worried.

Sitting in a corridor of Scotland Yard, Strike told his best friends what had happened, how Robin and Matthew had broken-up again and Robin was staying at Vanessa Ekwensi's flat, and how Raphael had taken Robin and almost blown her brains out in the worst sense, and now he didn't think it was a good idea for her to sleep rough on a sofa when she'd probably be completely knackered. Nick and Ilsa agreed and insisted that she should just stay at theirs until she could find somewhere else, for as long as it took.

Finally, police released Robin, who did, in fact, look miserable, so much that Ilsa immediately put her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

“You're coming home with us,” Ilsa said motherly into her hair. Strike saw Robin close her eyes, her face pressed against the lawyer's shoulder, and nod almost imperceptibly.

“We can pass by Vanessa's flat if you have the key, Robin, and pick up your things,” Nick added, then looked at Strike. “Want a ride, mate?”

Strike, thinking of how much his leg would appreciate it, nodded, and the four walked to Ilsa's car, that Nick drove this time around, with Strike as a copilot, so Ilsa and Robin could talk quietly in the back-seat as Nick drove with taxi-driver expertise through the streets of London to the address Robin had indicated. Strike thought he heard Ilsa ask the younger woman several times if she was alright, if she needed anything, and even suggest a warm tea once they got home to pass the bad time. He called Vanessa to alert they were coming and she informed him she was at the flat anyway, so she'd wait for them.

And once they were at Vanessa's, Robin was so literally knackered that she only took the essentials, Vanessa not minding if she came for the rest 'anytime', and they accepted Vanessa's tea offers, taking a break before continuing the way home. Vanessa, who had already been informed of the situation with Raphael by both Strike and Wardle on different phone-calls, and who was a good friend of Robin know, was understandably concerned and kept a hand on Robin's thigh.

“They might be my bosses, but they're stupid sometimes, honestly. Couldn't they have asked you any other time?” Vanessa commented without really expecting an answer.

“Have you called our client?” Robin asked Strike. “She'll want to know. She's going to be heartbroken.” Of course even with the day she had had, Robin's first concern was someone else. “And Billie... he should know the truth.”

“There's time,” Strike replied. “Tomorrow will be another day. Why don't you call your Mum? Perhaps she'd like to pass by in the weekend, you haven't seen her in a while.”

“God,” Robin sighed, defeated. It was all coming down to her now. The divorce, the weeks' stress, Raphael... “Mum has been pressuring to come down ever since I told her Matthew and I aren't together anymore, if I tell her I was held at gun-point, she won't let me live. She'll want me to take a holiday and go up.”

“Maybe you should,” Strike shrugged. “We can manage without you a couple days and you could do some riding, uh?” he added teasing with a half smile. Robin had to smile a bit.

“I don't know. Not now. Oh, and my phone's in that canal...”

“I told the police, they'll recover it. I said it has case evidence, so they're working their butts off,” Strike replied.

“Thank you,” Robin looked grateful at him, her eyes speaking a thousand words. “At least now Matthew can't harass me with calls. But I should call Mum, if anyone could lent me a phone, just to tell her mine's broken, or else she'll have sent a search team for me before dawn.” Immediately four mobiles were tossed onto the table, and Robin chuckled, grateful, and thanked them, grabbing Ilsa's, that was closer. She dialled the number she knew by heart, and the effort of lifting the phone to her ear already felt enormous. “Hi Mum. Yes, all is good, I'm just tired, long day at the office. Listen, I call you to let you know my phone just fell and broke, so you don't worry if I don't pick up.”

“Tell her she can call you there whenever she wants,” Ilsa murmured. Robin smiled and nodded, thankful.

“Oh and mum, this is Ilsa Herbert's number, a friend, you can call me here whenever you want okay? I'm going to stay with her until I get a place. Yes, I was staying with Vanessa, but she doesn't have an extra room and Ilsa does, so it's better... uh, look, I can't really talk now, call you tomorrow okay? Kisses to everyone... well tell Martin to bugger off and find a damn job already, and you'll see how he has less time to do stupidities, you're too good... yeah, bye, love you. Thanks,” she added, passing the phone to Ilsa once she'd hung up.

“Your brother alright?” Strike asked. Robin puffed.

“Yes, Mum just wants me to talk him out of smoking weed, big sister duties, you know. But Stephen's better for the job and besides, it's not like Martin would listen to me. Men,” Robin shrugged. “Is it okay if we go home now?”

They finally took Strike to Denmark Street and to Robin's surprise, before leaving the car he turned around and squeezed her hand.

“Take care okay? I'll visit tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Cormoran...” Strike patted her hand and managed a smile and left. When they made it home, Robin practically fell face down on the mattress.

It wasn't an easy night. She tossed and turned and groaned in her sleep, full of nightmares, until in the morning she was in no way ready to be awake and up. It was like her body and mind had decided that after holding up for weeks with all amounts of emotional distress and tensions for the sake of her job, now that the job was finished it would all be unleashed, and she didn't have energy in her anymore, mostly not emotionally. Ilsa came in saying she'd be home today and asking if she'd like breakfast in bed and, although it was a tempting offer, Robin wasn't hungry, so she settled with tea in bed. Strike was there shortly, knocking in her bedroom door.

“No offence, but I just want to sleep,” Robin murmured against the pillow, identifying him by his steps, the minute he came in.

“Then sleep. I'll make sure no one bothers you,” Strike said, sitting on the feet of the bed. “Want me to give you a back rub so you fall asleep sooner?” he offered with the sweetest voice Robin had known him to have.

“You'd do that?”

“I've been praised for them,” Strike said, nodding. Robin rolled to be face down and tucked, and Strike sat on the verge of the bed by her side, and pressed his hands tentatively against her tense shoulders. He thought she heard a 'thank you' below the mass of lion hair and he smiled, massaging her back carefully even after he was sure she was asleep, even if his heart was racing.

Robin deserved it all.

 


End file.
